Door-key-holding device.



' E. A. WI LDT. DOOR KEY HOLDING DEVICE, APPLICATION FILED NOV- 8, I913.

. 1,166,565. Patented Jan.4, 1916.

WITNESSES IN (/5 IV TOR A TTOR/VEYS Y'- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA c.

EDWARD A. WILDT, on SCRANTON, PENNsYLvANIA.

DOOB-KEY-HOLDIYNG DEVICE.

Application filed November s, 1913. seriariv 799,834, v,

To all whom it m a concern: 7 Be it known that I, EDWARD A. WILDT, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, county of Lackawanna, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Key- Holding Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a device for fastening a door key in its key hole in such manner that a person on the outside of the door will be unable to remove the key, and will likewise be unable to insert a skeleton key beneath the shank of the key which is fastened in the key hole, and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be of extremely cheap and simple construction and thoroughly efficient in its operation.

The invention consists of a plate or strip designed to be inserted in the key hole beneath the shank of the key when the head of the key is turned out of alinement with the key hole after the locking operation, and

means for connecting the key and plate whereby the key is held against removal or turning, and whereby the key hole may be effectually closed against the insertion of a skeleton key, all as hereinafter" described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device applied to the lock of a door; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the parts of my device removed, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the locking pin.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

A represents a door to which is applied a lock of ordinary construction, the ward B of which is shown.

C represents a key of usual construction.

The fastener or locking device consists of a plate or strip D, which is of suitable length, breadth and thickness to be: inserted in and held against turning by the vertical portion of the key hole beneath the shank of the key when the key, after throwing the lock to secure the door, is turned out of alinement with the key hole. This plate is preferably stamped from sheet metal and is provided at its outerend with an eye E formed by bending the metal upon itself.

I F designates the locking pin which connects the plate or strip D with the key and at once prevents the turning of the key and the removal of the strip .D from the key hole. The shank a of this locking pin is of suitable length to pass through the eye E of the strip D when the head or off-set portion 6 of the pin stands above the finger piece of the key through which the locking pin is inserted as shown in Fig. 1.

The locking pin may be a malleable casting, or formed inany other convenient way, but I prefer, as shown in the present instance, to make it in the form of a split pin shaped from a single strip of metal bent upon itself to form the shank and head and preferably semi-circular in cross-section, so that the flat sides of the strip will be brought together in the bending operation, and the pin will have, by reason of its split shape, a gripping efiect within the eye E, thereby preventing the accidental removal of the locking pin.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modified form of the locking pin in which the head or horizontal portion is formed of a short piece of metal rod 0, and the shank is formed of a piece of semi-circular wire cl bent upon itself about the piece 0.

In operation the key, after throwing the bolt to lock the door, is turned until its head is out of alinement with the key hole and the strip D is inserted a sufficient distance to bring its eye in a vertical line with the opening in the finger piece of the key. The stem or shank of the locking pin is then passed through the opening in the finger piece of the key and through the eye of the locking plate D, the split pin being slightly compressed to pass it into the eye E, and expanding therein to grip the eye. 71th the parts thus locked together all attempts to turn the key are frustrated by the plate D, and all attempts to remove the plate D are frustrated by its connection through the pin F with the key. 1 v

The device described is of extremely simple and cheap construction and is thoroughly effective.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 43,1916 7 A key fastener comprising the combination of a strip of sheet metal of uniform cross-section throughout having the metal at one end thereof curled to form an eye extending in the direction ofthe width of the strip, said strip being adapted to have the coact With the Walls of the eye in said strip; 10 straight end thereof inserted in a key hole substantially as described.

and to have the eye vertically disposed when In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, the strip is so positioned in a key? hole, and in presence of two Witnesses.

a pin having an enlarged head 0 too great 4 7 size to pass through the hole in the finger ARD VVILDT' piece of a key and having a split shank, the shank of the pin being adapted to pass through the hole in the key and to enter and Witnesses FRANK M. WALSH, E. A. BIDDLEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of lacents Washington, D. C. 

